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Abstract:

The curtain includes a foldable panel having an upper edge and two
opposite side edges. The foldable panel is reversibly moveable between an
extended flat position and a fully folded position upon moving the
opposite side edges relative to one another. The panel forms a plurality
of juxtaposed sections separated by vertical pleats when the panel is
folded. The curtain also includes a plurality of spaced-apart ribbons.
Each ribbon has opposite ends connected to the upper edge of the panel
and forms a loop. The ribbons extend above the upper edge of the panel
when the curtain is hung under the horizontal pole. The curtain further
includes a plurality of rigid connectors to be loosely inserted over the
horizontal pole. Each connector is inserted through the loop formed by a
corresponding one of the ribbons. A method of hanging a curtain is also
disclosed.

Claims:

1. A curtain to be hung under a horizontal pole, the curtain including: a
foldable panel having an upper edge and two opposite side edges, the
foldable panel being reversibly moveable between an extended flat
position and a fully folded position upon moving the opposite side edges
relative to one another, the panel forming a plurality of juxtaposed
sections separated by vertical pleats when the panel is folded; a
plurality of spaced-apart ribbons, each ribbon having opposite ends
connected to the upper edge of the panel and forming a loop, the ribbons
extending above the upper edge of the panel when the curtain is hung
under the horizontal pole; and a plurality of rigid connectors to be
loosely inserted over the horizontal pole, each connector being inserted
through the loop formed by a corresponding one of the ribbons.

2. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein each ribbon is made a woven
material.

3. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein each ribbon is stitched to
the upper edge of the panel.

4. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of each
ribbon are connected at a different position along the upper edge of the
panel.

5. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the ends of the ribbons
extend substantially parallel to the upper edge of the panel.

6. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein there is at least one
ribbon for each section of the panel.

7. The curtain as defined in claim 6, wherein at each section of the
panel, the corresponding ribbon is substantially centered with reference
to an upper end of the section.

8. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the panel
includes a tape extending continuously between the opposite side edges.

9. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the connectors each include
a ring-shaped main portion.

10. The curtain as defined in claim 9, wherein the ring-shaped main
portions of the connectors are inserted through the loops formed by the
ribbons.

11. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the panel is made of a
semi-rigid material.

12. The curtain as defined in claim 11, wherein the semi-rigid material
includes plurality of vertically-extending and juxtaposed bamboo strips
connected to one another.

13. The curtain as defined in claim 1, wherein the panel is made of one
or more pieces of fabric.

14. A method of hanging a curtain, the method including: attaching a
plurality of spaced-apart ribbons to an upper edge of a foldable panel,
each ribbon forming a loop; attaching a plurality of rigid connectors to
the loops formed by the ribbons; inserting the connectors over an
horizontal pole so that the panel be suspended by gravity underneath the
pole; and once the panel is suspended, moving the panel freely between an
extended flat position and a fully folded position upon moving opposite
side edges of the panel relative to one another, the panel forming a
plurality of juxtaposed sections separated by vertical pleats when the
panel is folded.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein attaching the ribbons
includes stitching the ribbons to the upper edge of the panel.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, further including: using a
plurality of vertically-extending and juxtaposed bamboo strips connected
to one another as the foldable panel.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein attaching the plurality of
rigid connectors is carried out while attaching the plurality of
spaced-apart ribbons to the upper edge of the foldable panel.

18. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein attaching the plurality of
spaced-apart ribbons to the upper edge of the foldable panel includes
giving an inverted "V" shape to at least some of the ribbons.

19. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein attaching the plurality of
spaced-apart ribbons to the upper edge of the foldable panel includes
centering each ribbon with reference to a corresponding one of the
juxtaposed sections.

20. The method as defined in claim 14, further including: using a
plurality of ring-shaped connectors as the rigid connectors.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present case claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/381,308 filed on 9 Sep. 2010, the entire contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The technical field relates generally to curtains and to methods of
hanging curtains.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Curtains are commonly used in homes and in many other places. They
are generally provided to cover all or part of a window in a decorative
manner. Most curtains can be opened or closed as required. To do so, a
person can pull or push the curtain by hand so as to move at least a
portion thereof along a pole or a track. Alternatively, a track mechanism
can be operated to open or close the curtain, involving for instance a
cord to be pulled by the person.

[0004] Some curtains are made of a material that can be more difficult to
manipulate than others using conventional arrangements. An example is a
semi-rigid panel, such as a panel including vertical bamboo strips
connected to one another. Other kinds of materials can be similarly
difficult to manipulate. One common way of hanging such curtains is to
use spaced-apart eyelets provided at their respective upper edge. These
eyelets are then inserted over a corresponding horizontal pole. Such
arrangement, however, have limitations. For instance, it does not allow
the panel to be flat when fully extended and the eyelets tend to remain
stuck in certain positions, thereby sometimes making the panel difficult
to manipulate. Other arrangements involve the use of a track mechanism.
Such arrangements, however, increase the cost and complexity of the
installation. Room for improvements thus always exists in this area.

SUMMARY

[0005] In one aspect, there is provided a curtain hung under a horizontal
pole. The curtain includes a foldable panel having an upper edge and two
opposite side edges. The foldable panel is reversibly moveable between an
extended flat position and a fully folded position upon moving the
opposite side edges relative to one another. The panel forms a plurality
of juxtaposed sections separated by vertical pleats when the panel is
folded. The curtain also includes a plurality of spaced-apart ribbons.
Each ribbon has opposite ends connected to the upper edge of the panel
and forms a loop. The ribbons extend above the upper edge of the panel
when the curtain is hung under the horizontal pole. The curtain further
includes a plurality of rigid connectors to be loosely inserted over the
horizontal pole. Each connector is inserted through the loop formed by a
corresponding one of the ribbons.

[0006] In another aspect, there is provided a method of hanging a curtain.
The method includes: attaching a plurality of spaced-apart ribbons to an
upper edge of a foldable panel, each ribbon forming a loop; attaching a
plurality of rigid connectors to the loops formed by the ribbons;
inserting the connectors over an horizontal pole so that the panel be
suspended by gravity underneath the pole; and once the panel is
suspended, moving the panel freely between an extended flat position and
a fully folded position upon moving opposite side edges of the panel
relative to one another, the panel forming a plurality of juxtaposed
sections separated by vertical pleats when the panel is folded.

[0007] Further details on these aspects as well as other aspects of the
proposed concept will be apparent from the following detailed description
and the appended figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front isometric view illustrating an example of a
curtain incorporating the proposed concept;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the curtain shown in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the curtain shown in FIG. 1; and

[0011] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the curtain panel in a
partially folded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an example of a curtain 10
incorporating the proposed concept. The curtain 10 is shown in a fully
extended position in FIG. 1. This curtain 10 is designed to be hung under
a horizontal pole, such as the pole 12 shown in the figures. The exact
length and height of the curtain 10 can vary greatly from one
installation to another. For this reason, the curtain 10 is illustrated
has having an indefinite length and height. The illustrated pole 12 has a
substantially circular cross section and a continuous unobstructed
surface.

[0013] The curtain 10 includes a foldable panel 14. The panel 14 has an
upper edge 14a and two opposite side edges 14b, 14c. The panel 14 can be
made of a soft or a semi-rigid material, depending on the requirements.
For instance, it can be made of one or more pieces of fabric. An example
of a semi-rigid material is one including a plurality of
vertically-extending and juxtaposed bamboo strips 16 connected to one
another, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Other materials are possible as well.

[0014] The panel 14 is reversibly moveable between an extended flat
position, such as in FIG. 1, and a fully folded position upon moving the
opposite side edges 14b, 14c relative to one another. The panel 14 is
said to be in a partially folded position when set in-between the
extended flat position and the fully folded position. When folded, as
shown in FIG. 4, the panel 14 forms a plurality of juxtaposed sections 20
separated by vertical pleats 22. FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1,
showing the curtain panel 14 in a partially folded position.

[0015] In the illustrated example, the upper edge 14a of the panel 14
includes a tape 30 extending continuously between the opposite side edges
14b, 14c. Other arrangements and configurations are possible.

[0016] The curtain 10 includes a plurality of spaced-apart ribbons 40.
Each ribbon 40 has opposite ends connected to the upper edge 14a of the
panel 14 and form a loop. For instance, the ribbons 40 can be stitched to
the upper edge 14a. The ribbons 40 extend above the upper edge 14 when
the curtain 10 is hung under the horizontal pole 12. Each ribbon 40 can
be made a woven material but other material are also possible as well.

[0017] In the illustrated example, the opposite ends of each ribbon 40 are
connected at a different position along the upper edge 14a and the ends
of the ribbons 40 extend substantially parallel to the upper edge 14a.
This way, each ribbon 40 forms an inverted "V" when viewed from the front
or the rear, as shown for instance in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a front
elevational view of the curtain 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0018] There is at least one ribbon 40 for each section 20 of the panel
14. The corresponding ribbon 40 is substantially centered with reference
to an upper end of the section 20. Other configurations and arrangements
are possible.

[0019] The curtain 10 includes a plurality of rigid connectors 50 to be
loosely inserted over the horizontal pole 12. Each connector 50 is
inserted through the loop formed by a corresponding one of the ribbons
40. In the illustrated example, each connector 50 includes a ring shaped
main portion. The ring-shaped main portions of the connectors 50 are
inserted through the loops formed by the ribbons 40.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the curtain 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0021] The present detailed description and the appended figures are meant
to be exemplary only, and a skilled person will recognize that many
changes can be made while still remaining within the proposed concept.
For instance, the materials that can be used are necessarily limited to
these specifically mentioned in the present description. More than one
ribbon can be used for each section of the panel and more than one rigid
connector can be used with each loop. Stitching is only one possible way
of connecting the ribbons to the upper edge of the panel. The ends of one
or more ribbons can be overlapped, at least in part. Different kinds of
ribbons can be used on a same panel. The rigid connectors can have
non-circular shapes and need not to be all identical. The pole for use
with the curtain is not necessarily rectilinear, other shapes and
configuration being possible. Still, many other variants of the proposed
concept will be apparent to a skilled person, in light of a review of the
present disclosure.